Join us For Sustaining the St. Croix Watershed: Research, Partnerships and Action

posted Nov 11, 2014, 5:38 AM by Heather Almeda

Sustaining the St. Croix Watershed: Research,
Partnerships, and Action

ST.
STEPHEN, NB/CALAIS, ME: The St Croix watershed covers a large area in Canada
and the U.S. of about 1,649 sq. mi.
(4,271 sq. km.) and stretches from the river headwaters nearMonument
Brook to Passamaquoddy Bay. The
watershed includes the homelands of the Passamaquoddy. All share the resources of this large river
system with beneficial uses including fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, and hydropower. Join us
in St. Andrews on November 20 and 21, 2014 at the Huntsmen Marine Science Center
as we work together to chart a course for the future health and sustainable use
of our shared watershed.

This
free two-day event is a chance for researchers, government agencies, residents,
and business owners to speak to each other, learn about what research and
efforts are currently underway, and discuss what needs to happen as we move
forward.

“One
of the most challenging aspects of being an international watershed is
communicating with each other,” said Abby Pond, Executive Director of the St.
Croix International Waterway Commission (SCIWC). “This event is a way of
sharing who is doing what, but it is also the chance for people to meet and
talk about how they might work together to solve problems.”

“The
Watershed Board takes a science-based, ecosystem approach to its
responsibilities in overseeing the regulation of water levels and flows, and surveying
water quality,” said International St. Croix River Watershed Board (ISCRWB) Co-Chair
Bill Appleby. “We see this science
forum as a good avenue for researchers to share information on their current
projects and identify areas that require more work”

The
event features four theme areas, Fisheries, Ecosystems-Based Management, Climate
Change, and Resilient Communities to focus discussion of existing and future water
resource challenges in the watershed. Within each area, we will:

Gain a more thorough understanding of
current knowledge and perspectives

Identify knowledge gaps – what do we need to
know?

Identify how, through combined efforts, we can
best fill knowledge gaps and

How we can integrate these efforts into
beneficial and efficient action.

The
themes are:

Fisheries - “Rebuilding
Fisheries - using experience, science and tools for the establishment of a
sustainable fishery.”

Speakers
include Betsy Irish from the University of Maine, Michelle Charest from the
Atlantic Salmon Federation, and Alex Hoar, from US Fish and Wildlife, and Bob
Lent from USGS.

Ecosystems-Based
Management
– “Taking a holistic approach - An effective balance of protection and use to
ensure a healthy ecosystem that supports our local needs and economies.”

Speakers
include Robert L. Stephenson from the Canadian Fisheries Research Network and
Jim MacLellan and Dragos Fluearu from the University of Toronto.

Climate Change – “Using
our knowledge and acting together to reduce current risks and build resilience
to the impacts of climate change.”

Speakers
include Réal Daigle, Tora Johnson from the University of Maine Machias, and
Charles Bourque from the University of New Brunswick.

Speakers
include Stan Choptiany from the town of St. Andrews, Jessie Davies from Save
Ocean Science, and Donald Killorn from Eastern Charlotte Waterways.

A
full list of speakers and schedule are available online at www.stateofthestcroix.org.
Space is limited, so please register early to ensure you have a place. If you
have any questions about the event, you can reach Abby Pond at 506 466 7550 or
at staff@stcroix.org.

The
science forum is a joint project of the SCIWC and ISCRWB. Both are grateful for the support of the New
Brunswick Environmental Trust Fund – Your Environmental Trust Fund At Work, and
the International Watersheds Initiative of the International Joint Commission, and
the Huntsman Marine Sciences Centre which makes this event possible.

About
the St. Croix International Waterway Commission

The St. Croix International
Waterway Commission is an international partnership that protects and enhances
the health, heritage, and beauty of a shared waterway. It is a vibrant
organization that protects, restores and manages natural habitats; offers exceptional
backcountry experiences; and celebrates our shared, cross-boundary cultural
heritage.

The International Joint
Commission has had International Boards operating in the St. Croix watershed continuously
since 1915. The IJC formally combined its
Water Control and Pollution Control Boards in September 2000 and established the
International St. Croix River Board. In
April 2007, the IJC issued a new directive designating the Board as its first
international watershed board and broadening its mandate proactively assist in
preventing and resolving disputes regarding the boundary waters of the St.
Croix River by working with stakeholders within the watershed to monitor the
ecological health of the St. Croix River boundary waters aquatic ecosystem, and
to ensure compliance with the Commission's Orders of Approval for structures in
the St. Croix River.